Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1887-12-10

From the American Analyst
Despite the vast improvements IN the manage.
ment OF American hotels, there are SIN many de-
fects and drawbacks which, though they may
seem Of practical insgnincanoe, are In reality Of
deep Importance to the pubic. chief among these
may be mentioned the toilet soap furnished the
patrons In their bedrooms and bath, and the tenn
porary guests IN the washroomA AZ general RUE
cent soap The writer has had wide experience
among the great establishments Of New YORK, and
5w9
cheap CASTLE and poor soap by the
hundred bars and cut these into convenient cakes.
They cleanse well and generally are free from
course perfumes and poisonous coloring matter;
but nearly all brands OF this class are poorly made
:sn ana But
gland. and the OIL they contain ~, Their
dry, rough and inelastio. Frequently after few
days, dried white patches rise and fall on, the lips
ness and even positive discomfort results. Worse
than these are the cheap and pasty toilet
soaps 50 much en-, In vogue They are made from rom
animal fats with impure alkalies, In the shortest
time and the cheapest manner possible. To cover
facturer coOrs them with brilliant dyes or very
dark dyes, and with the rankest essential oils the
the market Affords
and bathroom; those OF the public wash-rooin
are far worse Here a larger cake is en-
plOyeu, ana almost invariably one whose WORK
manship is so inferior that with the slightest
becomes PUPPY or sticky In this condition 1t does
all the harm mentioned, and besidee this 1t may act
and frequently does act, as a vehicle for disease
virus and disease germs. person suffering from
skin complaint or blood disease which manlfests
itself In CutaneOus disorders ulcers other sores,
uses the cake, and by the mere friction OF rubbing,
loosens the scales and pieces OF diseased matter
which are retained BY the glutinous surface OF the
soap. These may or may not contain the virus or
the germs referred to. II they do the next person
VINO uses that cake runs serious risk OF absorbing
the contagion and becoming q sufferer from the
same disease.
More Objectionable yet are the unwieldy roller
towel the saloon towel, and the long and broad
all circumstances are disgrace to the house that
uses them and an insult to its customers. The
towel removes moisture from the face and hands
by rubbing. The friction does more, however,
than remove moisture alone. 1t forces on scales,
pieces OF dead skin, lymph from cuts and abrasons
mucus from the nOstrils Preparations from
the pores, pus from sores and ulcers, and any,
thing liquid that may be excreted from the
body or may have been thrown upon its surface.
The fbrous and interlaced structure OF the towel
makes marvellous receptacle and catch-all for
stices until is washed and even long after unless
1t Is thoroughly boiled and rubbed with strong
laundry soap or treated with Javelle water or
chloride OF lime. 1t is all very well for the first
man who applies towel OF the class mentioned to
his face and hands; the second man runs risk
and the risk Increases automatically with each
user. AS nearly one man In fifty suffers from some
and Saloon towels average 200 users q day, it
is clear that every one toward the end Of its
daily career Is in all probabilities a source OF
danger and disease. 1t is better to go with
dirty face and solled hands than to use such
apologies for decency. 1t is a thousand times
better for proprietors to supply unlimited small
linen or cotton napkins, which. once used, are con-
signed to the laundry, or the inexpensive Japanese
paper cloths, which, once employed, are thrown
away into the ash barrel.